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Championship Review: Middlesbrough go top as Derby and Bournemouth draw

Derby County and Bournemouth held each other to a 2-2 draw in the Championship, meaning Middlesbrough go top after beating Blackpool.

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Written ByRyan Benson

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Middlesbrough capitalised on a 2-2 stalemate between Bournemouth
and Derby County by beating rock-bottom Blackpool 2-1 to take
Championship top spot for themselves.

Derby travelled to the Goldsands Stadium behind Bournemouth only
on goal difference, though they often found themselves playing
catch-up on the day, as Matt Ritchie put the hosts ahead after 12
minutes.

Tom Ince, a January loan signing from Hull City, scored his
third goal in two games to level things up with a fine effort after
half-an-hour, before Callum Wilson restored Bournemouth's lead on
the stroke of half-time.

Darren Bent ultimately secured a point for Derby, however,
producing an emphatic finish from close range after an exquisite
first-touch to beat his marker.

Middlesbrough took advantage of that draw to leap above both
teams and go top of the table with 59 points, though Aitor
Karanka's men were forced to do it the hard way.

Jonathan Woodgate finally put the away side ahead with nine
minutes to go, but a Ben Gibson own-goal a few moments later seemed
to have dashed their hopes of going top.

There proved to be a final twist, though, and it left the away
fans delighted, as Kike saw his 88th-minute header go in off the
crossbar and subsequently put Middlesbrough in charge of the
Championship.

Mark Warburton was unable to divert attention away from talk
regarding his as his Brentford side lost 2-1 at home to
Watford.

Despite a 38th-minute red card for Jake Bidwell, the hosts took
the lead through Andre Gray just after half-time.

But an Odion Ighalo double, taking his tally to eleven in his
last seven, turned things around for Watford, with the winner
arriving in stoppage time.

Ipswich Town remain just ahead of Watford in fourth-place thanks
to a 2-1 win at home to Sheffield Wednesday, while their East
Anglian rivals Norwich City closed to within two points of the
play-offs after a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Charlton Athletic –
Cameron Jerome netting an 83rd-minute winner.

Wolves ended a run of three without a win in style, as they
thumped hosts Huddersfield Town 4-1, while Manchester United-owned
Saidy Janko enjoyed a fine Bolton debut, scoring and claiming an
assist in their 3-1 win over Fulham.

Birmingham City's winless run was stretched to five after a 1-0
loss at home to Millwall, with Leeds United also winning away from
home, emerging 2-0 victors at Reading.

Cardiff City and Brighton and Hove Albion played out the day's
only goalless encounter, while Blackburn Rovers defeated Rotherham
United 2-1 at Ewood Park.